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Human Urine as Fertilizer
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Author:  PhilB [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:07 am ]
Post subject:  Human Urine as Fertilizer

Any readers do this? I have harvested my own urine for about a year. I do this by urinating in a 5 gallon bucket, then dumping it where it will go to a good use, such as the garden, compost pile, lawn, bushes, trees, etc. If used on the garden, I mix it with about half water. It has not burned any of my plants. Urine has the ideal mixture of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate. There are articles on the web about this, and video on "You Tube." I empty the bucket daily, then rotate it with another bucket that has been left outside to air out. This is a great way to make use of a free resource that we would otherwise discard. It also saves water. Some sources claim we flush about one third of our fresh water use down the toilet.

Author:  northwesterner [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Human Urine as Fertilizer

It'll take a heartier organic gardener than me to take this one on. It sounds like "too much information," and makes me wonder what the yard smells like. And what drugs you take (prescription medications that will be present in untreated waste). Perhaps you'd post some of your sources?

Author:  PhilB [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Human Urine as Fertilizer

There are many sources on the web. I have read "The Humanure Handbook," by Joseph Jenkins, which also educates about this. Urine is considered to be germ free, unless the host is sick. Feces are considered to be contaminated, and must be properly composted before being used as fertilizer, compost, etc. I could not even imangine the amount of drugs a person would have to be on, for this to be a health risk. If someone is that concerned, they could dump the urine on a compost pile, or use it anywhere besides a vegetgable garden. There is a "yuc" factor to this process, which can be overcome. Think of how many drugs domestic animals that are raised for human consumption are on? Where do they urinate? Is their manure sometimes sold as compost, and even used in a garden?

Author:  mdhafrica [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Human Urine as Fertilizer

it has repeatedly been proven that compost made with BOTH human urine AND human excrement produces better results in plants and harvested crops than does compost with either one alone, or with urine alone. i have used a 'dry' "composting" bucket toilet with biomass cover material, along the lines described in Humanure Handbook, and i cannot understand why to go through the trouble of using urine alone vs gathering both urine and excrement and then composting them both.

as for residual drugs, there are multiple demonstrations that proper composting of human urine and excrement will reduce any trace chemicals/drugs to "undetectable" limits. the "issue" of drugs in human feces and urine comes from municipal bio-solids and is from people 'flushing' pills down the toilet, not from the trace remains in the urine and feces.

also, i know that holding urine in an open container will certainly give off the typical "ammonia" odor. however, using a bucket toilet with biomass cover material has no odors. i have one in my bedroom and have had one in my office closet for "demonstration purposes" and, until shown, no one knows that they are there. zero odors, flies, etc, etc,

so, given that there are better plant and crop results with compost made from BOTH urine and feces and that there are no odors, etc, with a "bucket toilet" with biomass cover material, i do not see the motivation or advantage to separating urine and using urine alone as a fertilizer.

Author:  produce guy [ Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Human Urine as Fertilizer

I don't know about using it as a fertilzer,but I have a friend who gardens out in Dripping Springs and he swears that the week old urine from his twin boy's,placed in a bowel and put out by his garden,seems to scare all the rabbits, and other animals that come by to eat from his garden. :shock:

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